This is Coach Marlo Hollingshed’s first year working at Robinson, but he has taught years before he got into football. Before he was a teacher at Robinson, he was the head of the cafeteria.

Hollingshed is in his first year teaching world history honors to sophomores. Hollingshed chose history as his content area because he’s interested in talking about the past.

“I believe that history gives us an opportunity to you know learn how it started and bring us to the present day,” Hollingshed said.

Hollingshed has multiple college degrees but his first was at Mac Murray college in Jacksonville Illinois where he majored in business administration and marketing finance. During his time in college, he played football. He was an inside line backer, also three-year captain and first team All-American for two years.

Hollingshed draws inspiration from his experience in football and said teaching and coaching both teach life skills.

“As a coach teaching football is similar because not only are we expecting our players to win we’re teaching the fundamentals that guide and shape there life even after football is over,” he said. “It’s similar to teaching in a classroom.”

Emma Suarez (’24) is one of Hollingshed’s students and a manager for the football team.

“He knows when to switch his teacher mode off and his game time on. He’s very serious at game time and he’s ready to win” Suarez said.

In his first year, Hollingshed is focusing on being organized to complete his lesson plans, teacher duties and his football responsibilities.

“These are days where it does get overwhelming,” he said. “But, I think the ones that are organized are the ones who make it though the day.”

Hollingshed is working on balancing teaching and coaching duties.

“Right now, I dont have any free time, I’m grading papers, creating lesson plans and getting the football team ready for competition on Friday nights,” he said.